What Silence Can Tell You
by JavaForever
Summary: Angst, season six, prompt response. Hope you enjoy it! Takes place around...Driving Miss Gilmore.
1. You Can Run

A/N: Prompt response from gilmorefanforever! You sure know how to cater to my muse Sophie! It's angsty (as usual), it's season six (what else is new?), and you'll just have to read to find out more!

Disclaimer:

What Silence Can Tell You

She lies in bed. She is alone. She scoffs and rolls her eyes. She is always alone these days. He always has some excuse as to why he will be home late. She'd like to really admit to herself that they are valid excuses, but she is too sad to do so. She sits up and looks around the room. Does he really live here? The only way you could tell is if you opened the closet door and saw his traditional uniform hanging in there. She jumps up and flings open the doors to the closet. She needs to see the proof that he is in fact living there. She runs to the bathroom. She needs to see his toothbrush there in the holder next to her own.

She remembers when the bathroom was first put in and they had a nighttime routine. She would use one sink to do her own things and he would do the same with the other sink. Occasionally their eyes would meet in the mirror and they'd share small smiles. It was such a little thing, but she loved it all the same. Now, he is never there. There is no routine. He is never home. She tiredly lies back down on her side facing away from the door. Silently, the tears begin to flow. They trickle down her face leaving salty, wet tracks behind.

Downstairs the door opens quietly. She hurriedly swipes at her eyes trying to destroy the evidence that she is upset to the point of tears. She hears the bedroom door open. She hears him go into the bathroom; 5 minutes later she hears him come out. He lies down on the bed. He is so far from her that she can't even feel any part of him. She moves slightly trying to indicate that she is awake. He does nothing. She coughs and shakes her head. He remains silent. He doesn't care. The tears are coming again. Spilling down her face; there is no stopping them now. The sadness is turning to rage. The words "He doesn't care" repeat over and over in her head. He hasn't said anything yet even though she is obviously awake. He doesn't care. He won't touch her or even come near her. He doesn't care. She jumps up and whirls around to face him. Tears still pouring down her face, anger blazing in her eyes, she stares him down.

"Lorelai," He says sounding a little unsure.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She yells. Judging by the look on his face, that is not what he was expecting to hear.

"What?"

She ignores him and continues to yell. "Is this house so bad that you can't stand to be in it?" He is still confused. "I mean it must be since you're never here!"

"What are you talking about? I'm here all the time!"

She rolls her eyes. "Oh please. You spend more time at the apartment then you do at home." She accuses, using air quotes around the word home.

"I have early deliveries!"

"Every single morning?"

"No."

"When was the last time you slept here?" She knows the answer. She wants to know if he realizes it.

He hesitates. She has caught him with that question. That silence speaks volumes. "You see." She says quietly. "It's so unimportant to you that you can't even remember."

"No, Lorelai!" He exclaims rising quickly off the bed. "No, it's not like that!" He walks towards her and lays his hand on her arm. She stares at it unblinkingly. He is actually touching her. When was the last time he did that?

"I have to go." She whispers and runs out the door, downstairs, and outside. She braces herself against the wall of her house and slides down onto the ground. The thought crosses her mind that she just called it her house. Not theirs. Well he is never there. It might as well be her house. How did she not see this coming? After all, he never stayed over at his _wife's_ house. As she put it, he was a "rude houseguest."

She remembers something he told her once right before their first kiss. "You're supposed to let your actions speak." She knows that he is right. He never touches her, he hardly ever spends the night; he hasn't come down to find her. She isn't stupid. She can put it together. He doesn't love her anymore. It's so obvious that she wonders how she missed it before.

She hears the front door open loudly. "Lorelai?" He yells sounding frantic. She doesn't respond. Part of her wishes that he would find her, and part of her hopes he doesn't. He walks around the yard for a few minutes before he sees her. "Hey." He says sitting next to her. She doesn't look at him. She doesn't think she could stand it to look at him.

"You don't love me do you?" She asks quietly. Next to her, his eyes widen until they look like saucers. She might have laughed if she had looked up at him. He is not laughing though. She has shocked him so much that he can't even form words. All he can do is sit there and stare at her. What could make her think for even a second that he doesn't love her?

She feels her heart plummet to her stomach. He didn't answer her. The silence is practically screaming at her. He doesn't love you! He doesn't love you! He won't answer! The tears spill over again. She couldn't even count how many times she has cried that night. She feels sick. Like she could throw up any minute. She is shaking like crazy. Slowly she stands up and, still not facing him, gathers herself together as best she can. "Okay," She whispers brokenly. "I'm just going to go. I'll see you…sometime." With that, she runs as fast as she can away from him. She is gone by the time the whole scenario registers in his mind.

He jumps up and begins yelling frantically. "Lorelai, wait!" No one answers. She is gone. The silence envelops him and he sinks to the ground as tears threaten his eyes. He knows now what a huge mistake he has made in this relationship. This could very well be the end. It might be the end. The silence tells him so.

A/N: This is probably the end. I might continue if inspiration strikes, but this is most likely a one-shot. Hope you liked it!


	2. But You Can't Hide

A/N: Another story that was intended to be a one-shot. My muse spoke to me (rather loudly) though and I got inspiration! So here is chapter 2! Enjoy…

Disclaimer: Uh-uh. No way. I don't. Not ever gonna happen. Get the picture?

But You Can't Hide

She runs as fast as she possibly can. She needs to get away from that house. It holds far too many memories of the together. And now it holds the saddest memory of her life. The night he stopped loving her. Just the thought of that makes the tears come faster. She is gasping for breath. Trying to get just a small amount of oxygen to her brain. She can't breathe. He doesn't love her. She can't breathe. She can't breathe.

She sinks to the ground clutching at her chest. Tries to stop hyperventilating and actually get some air back into her lungs. There. She can breathe again. Not very well, but at least it's something. She looks around confused for a few minutes before she realizes where her running has lead her. Right behind the diner. This is pathetic. Everything in her life links to him. She can never stop loving him. His presence will always be there.

He looks up. It's like a reawakening. Suddenly, everything has come into focus for him. He is viewing the previous events over in his head. He can see it. Where everything went wrong. When he kept his daughter from her. When he ignored her. He curses himself mentally. Why did he do all that to her? What compelled him to put her through such hell after everything she had already been through?

He jumps up. She is not going to leave. He won't let her. He doesn't care if she has run. He'll find her. He knows he can. After all, how far can she get without a car? He runs inside, grabs his keys, jumps into his truck, and peels out of the driveway. He knows he has to find her. Tell her that he loves her.

She sighs heavily and pulls herself off the ground. A thought crosses her mind. It's something that she was afraid of when she first entered a relationship with her best friend. She needs him to live. And when he isn't there, when she can't stand to see him from the pain of it, what is the point in living?

She walks out in front of the diner. She doesn't know what she plans to do or where she will go, but she can't just sit still.

He drives down one of the most familiar streets he knows. He has to find her. He knows that the odds that she would come here are slim, but he has to look everywhere.

She wonders what he is doing right now. Does he miss her?

He is desperate. He needs to find her.

She stops. Stares. It couldn't be. But it is. He's here. Driving down the street.

He pulls to a stop. Can't believe his eyes. He found her. She's right here in front of him.

Her eyes widen and she feels her breath getting short. She whirls around and quickly starts to walk away.

"Lorelai!" He yells. "Wait!" His cries are in vain though, as she simply picks up speed. He begins to run after her. She starts to run too. It isn't doing her any good though. He can run faster.

He is right behind her now. He puts a hand on her shoulder and turns her around. She is breathing heavily. She looks at the ground, at the sky, anywhere but him.

"Look at me!" He demands raggedly. So she does. Reluctantly. He is face to face with her. He sees the unshed tears glistening, the immense hurt, the desperation. It breaks him and it's all he can do to keep from crying himself.

She needs to get away from him. He doesn't understand that she can't be near him. It hurts her too much. Yet, she is looking in his eyes and she can't move. She can't pull herself away from him.

"I can't." She whispers softly and drops her gaze. He gulps.

"No, wait."

"You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?" He asks loudly. "Why can't you be here? Tell me Lorelai, because I sure don't know!"

"You don't love me!" She yells, the anger is blazing in her eyes. A weak attempt to cover her sadness.

"You didn't give me a chance to say anything!"

"Hey! You're the one who likes to let his actions speak! Guess that backfired on you this time huh?" She snarls.

"You can't do that!"

"Don't you tell me what I can and can't do! You don't own me!"

The yelling stops. It is just the two of them in an otherwise empty street. Both breathing heavily. Standing apart and staring. So many emotions written in their eyes.

"I can't be here doing this with you." She says quietly. "It hurts too much."

"Lorelai," He whispers.

"No." She says shortly. She won't even give him a chance. If she lets him say something she might end up forgiving him. All it leads to is more heartbreak.

"Just listen to me!" He yells.

"I don't want to hear what you have to say!"

He snaps there. She has to listen. If yelling at her is what it takes to get her to listen, that's what he'll do.

"You know what? You can yell at me, you can scream, you can accuse me of being an awful fiance, hell, you can throw things if you want to, but don't you dare doubt my love for you! I love you more than anything else in this world Lorelai Gilmore and I'm not going to let you forget it." With that he nods and walks back to his truck.

He turns around and faces her again. "And when you're ready to admit that to yourself, you come find me." He says before driving away. Leaving her standing there staring after him.

TBC…


	3. Love Will Always Find You

A/N: Chapter 3! Yay! You know the drill! Read and review please!

Disclaimer: Don't own. Still applies.

Love Will Always Find You

She stands there for at least five minutes. He loves her. He said it. And he meant it too. She could tell. She knows that she has to do something, but is she ready to confront him again tonight? It's all too much. She feels so overwhelmed with emotion. She is exhausted; it is late. All she knows is that she can't go back to her house. She slowly moves. She knows where she can go.

Not too long after, she knocks on a door. It opens slowly.

"Hey!" The person behind it exclaims, obviously happy to see her. Then, they see her disheveled appearance. "What happened?"

"I need a place to stay tonight. Can I crash here?" She asks softly.

"Sure, come on in."

He looks around his house. Her house. _Their_ house. It is their house together. He plans on it being that way. He knows that eventually she'll come back. She'll be ready to face him, but he can't push her. It feels good to have told her everything he did. It is too much drama than he likes, but he realizes that it had to happen. He wonders if she'll come home, where she'll go if she doesn't.

She looks around the apartment. It's so fancy. It's hard to believe that she is actually here at midnight after showing up unannounced. She wonders how long it will be until the interrogation begins.

"Here." Her daughter says as she lays some sheets out on the couch.

"Thanks."

She doesn't beat around the bush. "So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Rory…" You say uncertainly.

"Come on mom." She pushes. "What happened?"

She sighs and sits heavily on the couch. "I confronted Luke about how I've been feeling lately." She stops there, afraid to continue.

"And?"

"And I asked him if he still loved me and he didn't answer. So I ran."

"Wow. " She whispers. "I can't believe he wouldn't answer.

"That's not all. He came after me and confronted me. Told me that he did love me. And then I came here."

"You came here after he told you that he loved you? Why didn't you go with him?"

"It's complicated." She offers lamely.

"Do you love him?" She asks.

She freezes. Does she love him after all he's put her through? Yes. She could never stop. She sighs and answers. "Yes."

"Are you willing to forgive him?"

This is the harder question. Can she put all that hurt behind her? Just forget it all? She sighs again. "I don't know." Her daughter nods.

"Get some sleep." She says quietly. She hugs her before leaving and whispers, "I love you mom."

"I love you too." She whispers.

He lies down in their bed. He feels so alone there without her. She never came home. He hopes that she went somewhere where someone would take care of her. Part of him feels guilty for not insisting that she come home, but he knows that she needs some time. Time away from him.

He sighs and rolls over. All he can think about is what he would do differently if he got a second chance. She would meet his daughter. She would be included in his life. He would tell her he loves her often. He would hold her, kiss her, be with her all the time. He misses her so much already. How much time will she need?

A night passes. Two people are restless that whole night. They barely get any sleep before daybreak. Both awake alone. Both instantly miss the other that is meant to be there. And they both know that they can't remain apart for too long.

She sighs and gets up. Folds the sheets and stacks them on the couch. Grabs a piece of paper and a pen, writes her daughter a quick note. Finally, she walks from the apartment and down to her jeep. She has places she needs to get to.

He hears footsteps on the stairs. He waits patiently for the door to open, and it does. Slowly, tentatively. She is afraid to come in. He rolls over and smiles at her. She steps awkwardly in and looks at him calmly.

"We need to talk."

He moves over on the bed and pats the spot next to him. She sits on it and turns to face him. "Talk." He commands softly.

"I don't know where to start." She says.

He regards her intensely. He is looking at her so deeply that it almost hurts. "Start by telling me what happened last night."

"I just snapped." She shrugs.

"Why?" He asks, a hint of desperation in his voice. He needs to know her train of thought leading up to the snapping.

"I don't know!" She exclaims.

"Then tell me how you feel right now." He says.

"I miss you." She whispers, refraining from eye contact.

"I'm always here for you."

She smiles sadly. "There are things that are more important to you than always taking care of me."

"You are my life." He tells her firmly.

"That doesn't mean that you are with me every minute. You shouldn't have to be. It's not your job. It's just that you've been so distant lately."

"Well so have you. You never talk to me anymore. Tell me how you're feeling."

"You don't care."

"I always care."

"Then why couldn't you tell how miserable I was?"

"I'm human. I make mistakes. I can't read your mind."

She sniffs. Nods. Looks up at him with tears in her eyes. In one movement, she collapses against him sobbing. He wraps his arms around her protectively and buries his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." She whispers raggedly.

"I know." He says without lifting his head. No words need to be spoken at the moment. Just him holding her is enough.

TBC…


End file.
